“You need to anticipate what could possibly happen to you or your company and prepare for it so that you are ready to get your message out at a moment’s notice.”
Tara Goodwin
Tara Goodwin is the founder of Goodwin Consulting and co-founder of Crisis Interception, Inc. With over three decades of experience in communications, she has guided everyone from professional athletes and CEOs to global organizations through high-stakes moments.
In this episode of Expertly Said, Tara joins Kristen Sweeney to talk about crisis communication—how to prepare for it, manage it, and, most importantly, why your response in those first few moments determines everything.
Tara explains that how a company responds in the initial moments of a crisis determines whether it regains control or spirals into chaos. Years ago, crisis experts talked about “the golden hour”—the critical first hour after a crisis broke, when teams would plan their response. Today, that window has shrunk to minutes.
Information can spread instantly, often faster than organizations are ready to react. Tara shares a story about a business owner who discovered his factory was burning down—on Facebook—before the fire department had even been called. It’s a powerful reminder that the public can define the narrative before you even know what’s happening.
That’s why crisis readiness starts long before the crisis itself. A prepared organization anticipates worst-case scenarios, builds a response plan, and designates a core team ready to act. Without that preparation, you’ll be stuck playing catch-up.
Expertly Said is a podcast on the art and impact of communication. Each episode features a conversation about how people connect with understand and influence one another.
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